A two-inch Mesolithic stone figurine from Azerbaijan tells a tale of cultural growth.
It’s the first cultural find from the area of the South Caucasus.
The sandstone figurine depicts a human, and stone tools were used to create the artwork.
There’s no face on the oldest piece of art—a small sandstone figurine of a human from the Mesolithic era—ever found in one region of modern-day Azerbaijan.
In a study published by Archaeological Research in Asia, a team of archaeologists from both Japan and Azerbaijan showed how they used technology to investigate the details of the stone figurine that helps tell the story of the cultural shifts from Mesolithic to Neolithic.
“Its stylistic features considerably differ from those of Neolithic human figures in the region,” the study authors wrote, “providing a valuable reference point for understanding the cultural processes in symbolic aspects during the Mesolithic-Neolithic interface in the South Caucasus.”
The archaeologists discovered the figurine in the Damjili Cave, which was first explored by archaeologists in 1953. Layers within the cave show a high density of Neolithic settlements, and trace life back to Middle Paleolithic and Mesolithic times.
The figurine in question (dubbed Unit 5.2) was initially almost discarded when discovered amidst a layer of sediment along the bank of the Kura River—why would a ovular chunk of sandstone be anything other than a rock laying on the bed of a river? Fortunately, someone noticed the faint lines hewn into the rock that were clearly the work of an artist. The team needed microscopic analysis to really see the engraving patterns (the only modification made to the stone). “The overall pattern suggests that the artifact represents a human figure,” the authors wrote.
Carbon dating of the artifact places it between 6400 and 6100 B.C., but it required computed tomography analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and scanning electron microscope analysis to really make the cultural value and stylistic differences from Neolithic examples clear.
One side of the figurine has more complicated engravings, likely indicating it’s the front of the figure. At two inches long, half an inch wide, and about a third of an inch thick, the craftsmanship was detailed and required stone tools for engraving. Vertical lines on the top of the stone likely represent hair. There’s also an explicitly delineated horizontal line across the hair that researchers believe was a hairband or edge of a cap, especially since the top of the head is not decorated. The figurine lacks facial features and there’s no way to discern the intended sex of the figurine.
The lower body is less intensely decorated, but does have three horizontal lines that are likely a belt and vertical lines representing a loincloth or apron. The team found reddish areas with a higher level of iron content, opening up the possibility red pigments were part of the original design.
“The engraving seems to have been performed carefully in most parts, representing the high sophistication of the craftsman, although different intensities of the work are also observable,” the team wrote. Various depths and widths were used in the engraving style, showing a deviation in strokes. “The most intense traces of engraving on the front side of the head suggest the manufacturer’s emphasis on the head, although the details of the face of the figurine were not depicted,” they wrote.
Alongside the figurine, the team found remnants of stone fireplaces, bone, and flaked stones, but ground-stone artifacts are rare. “The stone figure from Unit 5.2 is a rather exceptional find,” they wrote.
The style suggests a local tradition of artistic representation, although there could be cultural influence from Southwest Asia. “This specimen is unique in the prehistory of the South Caucasus,” the team wrote. “We hope that this research will provide a cautionary note when investigating small stone items from sites during the introduction of the agropastoral socio-economy in the South Caucasus. More discovery of Mesolithic portable arts should certainly contribute to our better understanding of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the South Caucasus.”
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